The Efficacy of Oral Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is the most common and stable form of hyaluronic acid in commercial production and application. In China, sodium hyaluronate was approved as a health food ingredient in May 2008 and officially approved as a new food ingredient in January 2021. The market access policy for sodium hyaluronate has been fully liberalized.

1. Oral Beauty
The level of sodium hyaluronate in the human body gradually decreases with age, reaching 65%, 45%, and 25% of that at age 20 at ages 30, 40, and 60, respectively. Oral sodium hyaluronate can help reduce wrinkles, improve skin hydration, and increase skin elasticity.

2. Bone and Joint Health
Bone and joint discomfort has become one of the top five health concerns. Hyaluronic acid is a major component of synovial fluid, secreted by synovial cells and chondrocytes. The hyaluronic acid in synovial fluid has a high degree of viscoelasticity, providing shock absorption and lubrication for articular cartilage, forming a protective barrier on the surface of articular cartilage. Oral sodium hyaluronate can alleviate arthritis symptoms, reduce joint swelling, and maintain joint function.

3. Gastrointestinal Health
Oral administration of sodium hyaluronate helps reduce gastrointestinal inflammation and maintain intestinal health; it also increases gastrointestinal microbial diversity and regulates gastrointestinal epithelial barrier function.

4. Eye Health
Sodium hyaluronate is a natural component of the human eye. The vitreous humor is composed of 98% water and 2% collagen and sodium hyaluronate. Oral administration of hyaluronic acid promotes the body's own synthesis of hyaluronic acid, reduces friction between tissues, relieves eye dryness, and synergistically treats dry eye syndrome.

Oral sodium hyaluronate is widely used in both regular foods and health foods, and is widely accepted in the international market. Naturally derived from the human body, sodium hyaluronate is safe and has no side effects when taken orally. It is widely used in countries such as Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. According to public data, 161 foods containing sodium hyaluronate were available in Japan in 2020.